Edo Tensei
by Death's Champion
Summary: Naruto is known as the great hero of Konoha who died saving the village. When he is reanimated through the Edo Tensei and forced to destroy the village, how will he save the people and village from...himself? I don't know if there's going to be romance, so vote for the pairing you want if you guys think I should add it in!
1. Chapter 1

**Edo Tensi**

_**Alright guys, this is my test run of this story. Please review and tell me what you guys think. I'll accept any and all suggestions seeing as I don't have any set plan to where this is going. Alright, with that said, enjoy!**_

When Naruto opened his eyes, he knew something was wrong. First of all, he shouldn't have eyes to open, that much he was sure. He wasn't supposed to have eyes, much less a body, and yet here he was opening eyes that shouldn't exist and flexing hands that were supposed to be long extinct. To put it simply, Naruto was supposed to be dead.

Though he couldn't remember actually being dead-it seemed that the tales of death being a mere black void was true-he _did_ remember dying. The next thing he noticed was that there was a person he did not recognize was watching him with interest. Confused and worried about what this might mean, Naruto simply stared at the strange person, quickly thinking over a thousand different possibilities, all of which were ludicrous and impossible. Yet, he could not deny the fact that he, a dead person, was breathing and blinking and seeing-all things that he knew dead people did not do-and that in itself was completely ridiculous, so he supposed he could not rule out anything just yet.

The man in front of him finally spoke, and when he did, dread filled Naruto's stomach (was it really his?) because that voice was all too snakelike and the speaker was addressing a dead person with no surprise and plenty of arrogance.

"Hello Naruto, we have not had the pleasure of, meeting in your past life, so I'll introduce myself. My name is Kabuto."

The man, Kabuto, gave Naruto an unpleasant feeling. Deciding that he would try out his newly revived voice, Naruto spoke. "I know very well that I should not be alive, so why am I here?"

Kabuto grinned in pleasure. "Hearing your voice gives me such a thrill, hero of Konoha."

This gave Naruto pause. Hero of Konoha? That was a new one. Though at his end he had managed to gain the liking and acceptance of the villagers, never had he garnered their respect for such a title.

"How ironic that you, the most famed and beloved shinobi of the people will be their destruction."

This made Naruto freeze in fear. Kabuto chuckled in delight. "Do you know why you are here?"

"I do know that I am supposed to be dead, so why don't you tell me why I am standing here in front of you, when that should not be possible?"

Smugly, as if very proud of himself, Kabuto spoke, "The forbidden jutsu Edo Tensi is a reanimation jutsu that my previous master before me created to bring the dead back to this world in order to do his bidding. You don't know how long I have searched for your soul and a body strong enough to contain it. Even without the Kyuubi, your soul and chakra are incredibly powerful and difficult to contain."

That was something else that had been bothering Naruto. He could not sense any hint of the Kitsune, who had been a part of him since birth. It was rather disconcerting to realize you have lost something that was such a large part of you. He supposed it was only fair that with his death the fox was finally released, and he would be forever grateful for the fox's companionship and help in the end, but that did not stop him from aching over the loss.

Back to the matter at hand though. Kabuto had been speaking while Naruto had been thinking, and though he had not heard what the man had been saying, he knew what is was he had said, for his body was taking in everything Kabuto said and with every word he spoke, Kabuto took control of Naruto's body and will. He was ordering him to become a ninja of the Village hidden in the leaves.

Instead of lashing out at the man, and stopping his plans before they could begin, his traitorous body was obeying everything he said, and restricting him. When he spoke his final sentence however, Naruto's anger strained against the bonds that were Kabuto's words.

"…and when the time comes to make my move, I will crush Konoha and wipe it permanently off the map."

He had suspected already that this would be Kabuto's ultimate goal, but still, hearing it made his blood run cold and despair well up at his inability to stop this madman and protect his home. "Now go, you will be known as the ancestor of Naruto. Ironic, no? I don't care what you call yourself. Also, I won't erase your personality because you have the unique ability to gather people's respect and trust. That will be beneficial to us in your mission. Now go, I want you to integrate yourself into the village and report any important information back to me."

As his body began to move, Naruto made a solemn promise to himself. Even if he no longer controlled his actions, he would not become an instrument of his home's and friend's destruction. He would stop Kabuto and save his village from himself no matter what.


	2. Chapter 2: Re-integration

**Chapter 2****: Re-integration**

**This is mainly going to tie up some loose ends and such. Again, if you guys want there to be a pairing in this story, vote now, because I don't have one in mind.**

Naruto watched from the trees as life went on in the village. It had surprised him, seeing the place he knew had once been his home, and yet it was so different then the last time he had seen it. Obviously, a fair amount of time had passed since he had died, that much was obvious. The mountain now had four faces carved into its expanse instead of the one and a half that had existed the last time he had seen it. Though during his time the second hokage had taken office for a few years before his death, he had never seen his face completed because of the warring states period they had lived in hindered any progress to the mountain.

Now there was a face of a thirty something year old man with eye wrinkles and a woman with a diamond upon her forehead. It was odd; the village itself too had also changed. It seemed so much more colorful than the last time he had seen it, probably a result of the citizens wanting to brighten it up during a time of peace. He supposed it had been a long time since the poverty and strain of war had touched this version of his home, its people seemed far too relaxed and comfortable going about their daily lives to hint at anything else.

Now though, his mind wandered to how he would enter the village. He supposed he could try to sneak in and pretend as though he had always lived there. Or perhaps he should simply ask to be accepted as a part of the village? Since there was no war on their doorstep, he doubted they would suspect him of having any underlying goals. This made him grit his teeth. It angered him that these people were so relaxed and carefree while his people had been wary and sad. It also worried him that if he were to drop hints and attempt to warn them of the threat Kabuto posed to them, they would dismiss his worries far too easily or think him paranoid.

Since he could not go directly to the current Hokage and tell them of the danger, any and all actions he performed would have to be subtle and non-violating of his orders. Another thing that would be a problem was his eyes. He knew from looking into a pond that his whites of his eyes were completely black now. He supposed he could do a henge, but he was sure that someone would detect it and become suspicious of him. Then again, wasn't that what he wanted?

He figured a henge would be the best way to cover it up, seeing as he wasn't directly telling someone that he was hiding something and at the same time he was attempting to keep the truth hidden just as Kabuto wanted. Hearing a disturbance, Naruto turned his attention to the gates. At first he thought an enemy had tried to sneak in and had gotten caught, but he soon realized that the guards who had caught the intruder was too gentle with his hold and the intruder was smiling abashedly.

It didn't take long for him to realize that the intruder was simply a Konoha nin attempting to either sneak past the guards for sport or to avoid having to file a report. He shook his head, it still amazed him that these people could be so relaxed and carefree to even go as far as prank pulling.

Deciding that this could actually work in his favor, Naruto hopped out of his perch and strode towards the gates. When the guards finally noticed his approach, they hastily straightened up and released their comrade. With a nod, he left. Scowling, the first guard, a brown-haired jounin, spoke. "Alright, who are you and where did you get that forehead protector?"

He hadn't even thought about his headband, and guessed he had it because that was one of the items Kabuto had used to tie his soul to this host body. He belatedly wondered if it would even be possible to remove it. He guessed not if it was what tied his soul to the body.

"I am a transfer nin from Whirlpool Country."

Both the jounin assumed similar looks of confusion. "What the hell are you spouting on about? Whirlpool Country? Never heard of it."

This made him freeze. They didn't know about Whirlpool Country? Had his clan severed their ally ties with Konoha? No, that wasn't it, the jounin jackets still sported the simble of friendship between the two forces; a red Uzumaki swirl.

Frustrated and more than a little confused, Naruto quickly flashed next to the pair who had only enough time to look alarmed before he knocked both of them out. Quickly he dragged them both back to their booths and used a jutsu he had learned while working with the T&I division to alter their memories. When they awoke, they would think that they had seen one of their comrades instead of him.

As he walked away from the evidence, he worried slightly at how simple it had been. Sure, he was an experienced war veteran and would put himself above the average jounin level, it still shouldn't have been that easy to take the two of them out.

Thankfully, nobody really took much notice of him except for a few odd looks from a couple of girls. He wondered if maybe he had something on his face? When his stomach growled, he raised an eyebrow at the oddity of it all. Who knew that he would ever experience worldly desires again? Also, who knew that dead people could eat? He supposed it did make sense, seeing as the body he inhabited now was a living sacrifice. Quickly he grimaced and sent a quick mourning sorry towards the person who had to give up their freedom and their identity to become him.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out some paper money that was different from the currency that had been in use while he was alive. He wondered where it had come from? Perhaps it had been on the person whose body he inhabited? He shuddered at the sure creepiness of it all and silently sent a mental sorry to the person for not only taking his body, but his money too.

Glancing around, Naruto spotted a food stand that looked promising. He strolled over and ducked inside, smelling the familiar scent of ramen. He smiled, ramen was something he was well accustomed to, seeing as it was cheap in a time where everything was expensive due to war. He had become quite fond of the food after practically living off of it for so long.

Taking a seat, he quickly glanced up at the menu and was surprised to see so many options. During war you didn't get to eat a lot of variety, you ate to stay alive and you didn't complain about what you got. Deciding he had no idea what some of the choices were, he asked the man behind the counter to give him whatever was most popular.

"Of course, coming right up."

While he waited, Naruto's mind wondered. Should he make a conscious effort to rise in the ranks? He knew that if he did, Kabuto would get the information he wanted, but if he didn't, Kabuto would either give him a direct order to and stop Naruto from making decisions that could lead to Kabuto's downfall, or even worse, he could send someone else in to complete the mission; someone not so inclined to fight against their orders.

He decided that ultimately, it would be best to become influential and trusted in the village while he was still calling most of the shots and not Kabuto. When the man placed his meal in front of him, Naruto felt his mouth-watering. Who knew he would miss the taste of ramen so much?

That settled it, he would finish his meal tonight, and tomorrow he would begin his mission. He only hoped that he would be able to do as he had promised and save the village from himself.

**So its going to pick up in the next few chapters. If you have any suggestions or criticisms, please review because at this point I don't have a set direction in mind.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3****: Greetings**

**First I want to say that in the time Naruto lived in this story, the village was not attacked by the nine tails, so he wasn't as hated. Also, if anyone is confused, Naruto in this story will be ooc mostly because he grew up in different circumstances than in the anime and he was also born in a different time.**

After his stomach had been filled, Naruto wandered around the village. Many of the streets were the same, but the homes and shops were differently placed and more plentiful. He watched as children ran through the streets, couples walked hand in hand, and shopkeepers greeted people on the street, hoping to draw in new customers.

As he walked, he tried to remember his life in this very village. If he were honest with himself, he couldn't remember very many happy things about his childhood. Of course that's not to say that he hated his life before, but as the jinchuriki of the nine tails, he wasn't treated like other children. He was well-respected because he was the village's trump card, but he was also feared. Another thing that he thought about was the Kyubbi. What happened to him after his death? Was he sealed inside another person? And if he was, was he still in the leaf village?

He hadn't heard anything yet about Jinchurikkis in this time, so for all he knew they could simply not exist anymore. He doubted that however. He soon found himself in a place he knew well, even after all these years. His home. Well, it had been his home while he was no longer in the orphanage, but he had not lived there long. It looked its age, dilapidated and obviously unoccupied. This worked in his favor though, a free place to sleep while he sorted everything out, even if it was uncomfortable.

Leaping to the balcony, he quickly manipulated the wind on the other side of the door to unlock it. Walking in, he looked around with a sudden feeling of melancholy. It saddened him to think that he would never see his old comrades again. Or that if he did, they would be cursed just as he was and that, to him, would be worse than never seeing them again.

Settling himself down on the ground, Naruto thought. Tomorrow he would walk around town and collect as much information on the village. He would try to avoid learning anything too important so that Kabuto wouldn't be able to mobilize an attack too soon, but he needed to learn about the people. If he was going to try to seem as if he had been in the village all along, he would have to learn the rankings and standing of the other nin and allow himself to be seen. That way, although they may not recognize his name or know anything about him, his face would not seem so alien that they would suspect him outright.

Nodding his head, he lay down and hoped to get sleep. Suddenly he wished that he had been born into this time, as childish as it was. These people had never known the strife that he and his had, and he wished for that kind of innocence and happiness. At the same time he knew this made them weaker and more susceptible, but yet he could not stop the yearning. Rolling over on his side he sighed through his nose. He would just have to content himself with living in this time for now, even if it was not truly living.

o.0.o

Walking around the village, he entertained himself with watching the lives of those around him. It intrigued him how different the lives of the nin and the citizens were. So used to battle hardened regular citizens living and fighting alongside the shinobi was he, that seeing them as a separate force was foreign to him.

As he continued to walk along, a monument caught his attention. Curious, he inched closer and was surprised to find it was a memorial for all the dead shinobi who had given their lives in the battles of his time. Recognizing more than a few friends and comrades, he sobered up a bit. Many of the names he had left alive and in good condition at his death. It saddened him to see that his actions had not been enough to end the war.

"I come here often, makes me realize that being a ninja isn't all about glory and peace, you know?"

Not surprised, Naruto glanced to his left, seeing the owner of the chakra signature he had detected moments before they had arrived. Standing next to him was an older man with eye crinkles etched into his face. Surprised, he glanced up at the Hokage monument and confirmed his suspicions. Though he had obviously been much younger when his face had been depicted, this was no doubt the third Hokage.

He knew this meeting could either go well or really bad. "It is nice to see you Sandaime-sama?"

The Saindame looked at him with a little surprise in his eyes. "You are very good, but I know that you are not from my village."

He should not be surprised. This was the third Hokage, of course he knew who his Shinobi were. Feeling conflicted, he turned towards the Sandaime. "Oh? Why did you come to meet me personally? Isn't it dangerous to meet a possible enemy shinobi without any protection?"

The Saindame looked at him with amusement. "How do you know that I don't have special ops ninja watching your every move?"

"I know because I would have sensed anyone within a mile of here, especially hidden nin who were nearby."

The old man smiled and turned back towards the monument. "Let me show you something."

Surprised at the sudden change of topic, but also slightly intrigued, Naruto followed as the man lead him deeper down a trail. Though it was true when he had said he knew there were no enemies to him nearby, he kept an eye out on the off-chance that this was a trap. Doubtful though.

When the man finally stopped, they were standing in front of a monument. Shocked, he stared for several minutes in silence. When he finally recovered, he looked sharply to the former Hokage.

"I knew that you weren't one of my shinobi, but I also knew you weren't from this time."

The statue before them was a tribute of the highest kind for a shinobi, something that indicated a great hero of the village. It was him.

**Before I go, I may not have a chance to update because of Band Camp. I have it from 8-5 and its part of the reason why this chapter is so short. I will do my best, so please review and criticize. No writer ever got better because everyone told them they were good. ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4****: Realizations**

**Something I want to clarify real quickly; I am going to be using honorifics in this story. For those of you who are unaware, the Japanese put honorifics at the end of a name when addressing someone. Here is a simplified guide.**

**-chan: used when speaking to someone of your stature or lower, this is mainly used for girls. It's basically a way of calling someone cute.**

**-san: Not gender specific, san is a sort of respect for someone of the same stature. **

**-sama: More respectful version of san. It is used to address people of a higher standing than yourself.**

**-kun: used by seniors to address juniors.**

**-senpai or sempai: used to address someone who is your senior.**

**-sensei: used to address a teacher of some form.**

**No honorific: perhaps the most overlooked, when using no honorific after a name it signifies an intimate or close relationship. If used by someone who has not earned the title, it can be very insulting and presumptuous.**

"Yes, I know you aren't a Shinobi of my village, but I also know that you are not from my time."

This sentence rocked Naruto to the core. Knew that he wasn't from this time? How was that possible? HE didn't remember this man, was sure he hadn't ever met him when he was alive.

The Saindame watched him with a patient expression as all of these thoughts crossed his mind. Finally, he spoke. "I don't expect you would remember me. After all, I was just a child."

So, he had known him. It was hard to realize that someone from his timeline was still alive. It reminded him of all the people he knew that had _not_ made it. "Naruto-sama, I was only a little kid when you died, but I remember you.

"It was during the deciding battle, I wasn't supposed to be away from the shelters, but I was still young and foolish and thought that I could help my sensei."

Pausing, the older man-it was odd to think that technically, he was older than him-looked back to the monument. It hit him just then that the Sandaime Hokage, one of the highest standing men in the land of fire, had just referred to him as Naruto-_sama_.

"I wasn't much help, I couldn't even find him before he died in the battle. In the end, I found the enemy rather than my teacher."

He looked over at Naruto then, with solemn eyes. "Owari was the fiercest ninja in the entire world at the time, and I will be forever thankful to you for saving both me and the village from his wrath."

Naruto closed his eyes, envisioning his last day alive. It had been a hard battle with many deaths, and in the end, he had become among those of the massive dead count; all because a Shinobi thought he could rule over an entire village on his own.

"I thought that I should tell you, I know that you are not here because you want to be, and I know that someone sent you, but I also know that you would not willingly cause harm to this village, so I will reinstate you as a shinobi of this village in hopes that you will find out what the enemy wants and how to stop them."

Naruto wanted to tell him no, that that idea could be the end to the village, but if he didn't stop Kabuto himself, wouldn't he just raise another more willing candidate?

Suddenly he found himself alone once again with only his thoughts. Looking back up at his monument, he noticed something that he hadn't before. By his side, with a collar around his neck, was a fox he could only assume was Kurama. He snorted, if the fox was still with him, he would have raged at the insinuation.

Turning around, Naruto made his way back to the main road. Smiling for the first time since his resurrection, he took one last look back, praying that he could once again live to be the hero the village remembered him as.

~o.0.o~

Naruto knew that sneaking around the village as if no one knew he was there was pointless if the Hokage knew he was there already. He was thankful that the old man wasn't senile and took such care with the village; it put his mind at ease to know someone wasn't fooled by the semblance of peace. At the same time, it worried him. Was he losing his touch? Would this cause Kabuto to suspect his defiance? He could only hope that the Hokage was already looking into his resurrection and trying to find the source of the danger.

Well, if he had time to kill before he got started with his real work, he may as well look into what had happened to Whirlpool. He thought it odd that even if Whirlpool had cut ties with Konoha or something of that nature, that nobody recognized the name. Even if they had cut ties, they were still among the most powerful in the shinobi world and he couldn't fathom that people could forget about such a force simply because they weren't tied together by a treaty any longer.

Ultimately he decided that the best course of action would be looking among the history scrolls in the library. Absentmindedly he wondered about all the technical advancements that had been made in his absence as he walked. He thought it would be highly entertaining to learn about it all. Perhaps some huge power figure had come to rule and introduced new techniques and ideas to the world. He smiled to himself as he walked through the records doors. However much had changed during his absence, the library was still the same. He felt oddly appreciative and more at peace with the knowledge that some things did not change, no matter what happened in the outside world, this library had remained unchanged and preserved the past.  
Not just his past, but the time before even his birth.

Naruto searched through the labels as he thought. _Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, History of Konoha's Bloodlines, Historical Figures,_ and finally, _Allied and Enemy Nations_. He walked down the aisle, searching for something in the ally nation records. After walking up and down the aisle several times, he stopped and stood there in silence. There was nothing. Just like the guards at the front gate, the memory of his homeland had even been erased from the library's records.

Confused, frustrated, and unsure of what to do next, Naruto continued walking down the aisles. _No records? Were they banished from Konoha's history? Why is there nothing? Why has my homeland been forgotten?_ Something made him stop on surprise, standing in front of him was a young boy who couldn't be more than ten. As they continued to stare at each other, Naruto began to feel uncomfortable, and was about to sidestep the young boy when he finally spoke.

Mr. you look just like the hero from my book. Blinking, Naruto looked down at the book the boy was now offering to him. It was titled The Hero of the Leaf Village, and on the cover was an image of Naruto, brandishing a sword towards the readers. He snorted in amusement, not only had he never used a sword in any of his battle, now he was depicted as a hero. How amusing, that after death when the horrors of battle's rath faded and the details of the participants had faded, that only then did people begin to idolize someone they had never met. A hero? He had died in battle along with thousands of countless others.

He glanced back at the smiling boy. "You see? Usumaki-Namikaze is awesome! He killed the evil man and saved everybody! When I grow up I want to be just like him!" Just then a librarian sent a glare their way.

He smiled softly at the boy and said, "Heroes are non-existent in this world, you should work to protect the people you love. They will protect you in turn and only then will you become powerful. Don't become like someone else, always strive to be yourself."

The boy stood speechless before him. All of a sudden his expression changed from one of surprise, to one of pure and unadulterated awe. "Thank you!" He quickly scampered off to who Naruto guessed was his caretaker. She glanced up and when she saw Naruto, she smiled and blushed, then quickly ushered the kid out of the library. As he continued on down the library aisles, something caught his attention. _Historical Nations of the Past._ He shrugged his shoulders and continued down the aisle on a hunch. When he came to a large book with the Uzumaki swirl on the front, he froze. He felt his heart freeze. No, he no longer controlled his body's functions; it was his very soul that shuddered in his chest. He silently mourned for his people, for he knew know, supposed he had known for awhile, that his people, his home, and his legacy had died and passed from the minds of those who had lived on.

Slowly, for he felt as if a gravity seal had been placed upon him and then set to the highest level, he reached for the old book. For awhile, he did not open it, simply stared at the cover in silence. Finally, he took a deep breath and slowly opened the cover.

_Not much is known about the great nation of Whirlpool. It was a powerful country with great defense and trained some of the most famous and fiercest warriors of all time, but its secrets were closely guarded. Fortified by the sea's natural whirlpools (from which it derived its powerful name) it was impenetrable. _

_However, its power was feared by the many nations and the Land of Water took the first stand against its great walls. The nation upheld its centuries old tradition of honor and legend, defeating the entire army. Though they did not win, the Land of Water's army dealt damage to Whirlpool that gave other nations a chance to strike. For two years Whirlpool and the nations fought, but Whirlpool eventually fell to ruin under the harsh onslaught. Today, the ruin's whereabouts are unknown, adding to the mystery of Whirlpool. To learn more about Whirlpool's history…_

Naruto stopped. So, his country had been attacked by multiple nations. He smiled sadly; they went down fighting, typical of the Whirlpool citizens. Naruto closed the book and began making his way out of the library. Tomorrow, the real work started.


End file.
